


Leading By Example

by Ladyhawk_lhflu



Series: Alpha [10]
Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Pack Dynamics, The Alpha Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:34:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24562426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyhawk_lhflu/pseuds/Ladyhawk_lhflu
Summary: A good leader knows when to risk himself first.
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: Alpha [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/840837
Comments: 10
Kudos: 38





	Leading By Example

Rodney didn't exist well in ivory towers. Both he and Elizabeth knew that. So when Zelenka had to do repairs on the city's weapons systems, Rodney went along.

Of course, nobody objected to the best repairman in Atlantis helping out. Still, having him there did cause a stir.

The more seasoned geeks shrugged it off as Rodney being Rodney. But the younger scientists and engineers were in awe of him the moment he sat in front of one of the launchers with his tools. Few Alphas got their hands dirty like that. Even Elizabeth had been mostly hands off, as a show of respect for her people's skills.

Rodney ignored the whispers and the stares. Repairs weren't something that should be determined by pack dynamics. Safety and needs were much more important than who was in charge. That aspect was handled anyway. Elizabeth sat at his desk right then. That was just as good, or even better than him sitting there.

So he dismantled the damaged controls for one of the launchers without looking around him. He only spared Radek a moment to acknowledge the gift of one of the engineers to test the circuits. He put the engineer to work, then buried his head in the hole created by a Wraith dart a week before. He tried not to think about how close that fighter had gotten to his mate. Proximity warnings had blared near the command chair before John had risked firing on an empty part of the city to destroy it.

John had understood why Rodney had needed to clutch him tighter that night. But they tried to not dwell on the danger they had been in. They both had chosen to face it when they had planted a foot in the gateroom for the first time.

But the musings and repairs stopped when Rodney heard the thud of a body hitting the floor not far from him. He pulled his head out of the hole in the launcher slowly and spied a single Wraith waving a stunner at the assembled geeks. *His* assembled geeks.

The Wraith must have taken out the single Marine John always sent to repair areas to make sure Radek's team wasn't bothered with requests until the equipment was fixed. The geeks were on their own. Rodney was sure that none of them understood more than the basics of combat...except him.

So, using the only weapon he had at his disposal (the tools were for delicate work, not overpowering Wraith), Rodney transformed. He heard his clothes rip as the wolf emerged. He was sure he looked ridiculous with them half hanging off him. But he didn't care. He wasn't going to lose his people if he could help it.

Luck was on his side. The Wraith had turned toward the clang of a metal panel that Radek shut. In the next second, Rodney charged.

He let his claws scrape deeply into the Wraith's back. He hung onto an arm with his jaws. It wasn't enough. The Wraith shifted and nearly threw Rodney off his back. But then the geeks came after the Wraith. With pointy axle wrenches, with small metal panels, with voltage readers. With whatever they could find to throw at their enemy or use to poke him.

So Rodney hung on until his legs tired and his jaws ached. As he finally slipped off the Wraith's back, he heard the safety of a P-90 click off and suddenly there was a wolf at his side. Lorne, his tired mind supplied.

Lorne gently nudged Rodney aside so he and John could corner the Wraith more effectively. As Rodney looked around, a few more Marines rushed through the door.

A few moments later, the danger was over.

"Your people didn't even need us," Lorne chuckled as Rodney put his tray down at their table during dinner. "He was just about to fall over when we came through the door."

"Nobody can accuse you or the scientists of being weak after that," John chimed in. 

Rodney just shook his head. But then he looked around. The Marines each gave him a respectful nod as they looked his way. The scientists and engineers who had been with him were smiled upon and given praise.

That night, John clutched him tightly. That was when he realized how much danger they had been in.

So the next morning, Rodney dragged Radek and a few more of the geeks over to where Lorne was exercising in the gym. The major didn't even need to be asked. When he saw their group, he put down his weights and moved to the mats near them. Then, with more patience than Rodney would ever have, he began to instruct them in basic defense moves.

Rodney positioned himself near Lorne and allowed the major to demonstrate on him. Of course, he hated it. But he hated the Wraith and losing people more.

If getting thrown on a mat by Lorne helped even one person come back to the arms of a loved one, it was worth it.


End file.
